The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that prospective corps members must now obtain clearance from the National Electronic Registration Database (NERD) before they can be mobilised for the mandatory one-year national service.
The directive forms part of the scheme’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its mobilisation process as preparations intensify for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ orientation exercise.
In a public notice posted on its official X handle on Monday, the NYSC stressed that NERD clearance has become a compulsory requirement for all prospective corps members and urged eligible graduates to complete the process well ahead of mobilisation to avoid unnecessary delays.
The scheme warned that candidates who fail to secure the clearance would not be admitted into the national service programme.
According to the notice: “This is to inform PCMs (Prospective Corps Members) that without NERD clearance, no NYSC. Get your NERD clearance early. Avoid delays in your mobilisation.”
Reinforcing the directive, the scheme further declared: “NERD clearance is compulsory for all PCMs. No NERD clearance, No NYSC!!!”
Although the NYSC did not provide further details on the NERD verification procedure, the announcement signals a tighter screening process for prospective corps members ahead of the next mobilisation cycle.
The latest directive follows the recent announcement of mobilisation activities for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ service year, during which tertiary institutions and eligible graduates were urged to complete all required documentation before the commencement of orientation camp.
It also comes on the heels of another advisory issued by the scheme, warning prospective corps members against embarking on night journeys while travelling to orientation camps.
The NYSC advised participants to suspend their trips whenever necessary and seek accommodation in secure locations or designated military and other security formations instead of travelling after dark.
The twin advisories underscore the scheme’s renewed focus on strengthening both the credibility of its mobilisation process and the safety of prospective corps members amid prevailing security concerns across the country.
As mobilisation activities gather momentum, eligible graduates are expected to complete every mandatory registration and verification requirement—including the newly introduced NERD clearance—before reporting for orientation camp.
(Ripples)